Stamps and Registration Automation with Technology and Information (SARTHI)

Transcription

1 220 Compendium of e-governance Initiatives CHAPTER in 20 India Stamps and Registration Automation with Technology and Information (SARTHI) R.K. Sharma Department of Information Technology, Rajasthan ABSTRACT The successful implementation of Project Sarthi in the year 2003 was instrumental in reinforcing citizen s confidence in Government to serve citizens. The simple, effective, time bound and innovative project has proved to be the role model for similar e-governance Projects in the State of Rajasthan. Project Sarthi depicts the commitment of the State Government towards providing prompt and quality service to the Citizens. Subsequently, in the year 2004, Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India, sanctioned the Registration project to Rajasthan State. The project was a part of the countrywide initiative aimed at spreading the benefits of e-governance to all citizens. Under this project technical and financial assistance was provided for implementing the said project in one pilot district of Rajasthan State. 3i Infotech Limited was appointed as Consultants by DIT to provide consultancy and facilitate the state in the implementation of the said project. 1. Introduction To continue with the Citizen Centric approach, the Department of Information Technology and Communication (DIT & C), Registration and Stamps department and Finance Department planned to implement Anywhere Registration project, wherein registration services can be provided irrespective of the jurisdiction of the Sub Registrar Office (SRO). Initially, the project was planned to be implemented across 11 Sub Registrar Officesin Jaipur District. The aim was to bring registration services closer to the citizens. The project was envisaged to create more values to the citizens by improvements in process, technology, people capacity and infrastructure. With computerized registration system as the only official system for registration, one of the major tasks was to upgrade the application to facilitate Anywhere Registration concept. The entire process was re-engineered with the active involvement of all the stakeholders in the project. Once

2 Stamps and Registration Automation with Technology and 221 the concept and approach was finalized, the team of DIT and RajComp developed the new and improved software in J2EE framework and Oracle as backend. Necessary upgradation in hardware configuration was done as per the needs of the new software. To facilitate the Online Service Delivery Concept envisaged under the project, legal and procedural changes were suggested to Registration and Stamps Department. Further, all SROs under the pilot district were networked through dedicated lease lines. With an objective to increase Convenience to the citizens, site infrastructure across all SROs in the Pilot District was relocated to the nearest service consumption point and suitably upgraded with the project cost. Citizen friendly utilities like sitout, water cooler, display of citizen s charter at a prominent place were prominent features of site upgradation. The new and improved system revolves around software and hardware, and their maintenance, training, site infrastructure, consumables, manpower and self-sustenance of the system. To sustain the system in the long run, men (operators) and machines (hardware) are deployed on hire basis. Continuous monetary support being a critical component of the project is ensured by suitable user charges for copying, scanning and inspection (csi). As the project is getting implemented in the Pilot District, there is a positive change in citizens perspective about this novice delivery concept. In this scenario, the biggest challenge is to sustain the system and to use it as a platform for launching more citizen-centric services. The State is committed to replicate the system across all Sub Registrar Offices within a short period of time. 2. Project Vision, Stakeholders, Objectives and Services The vision of the project is overall economic development of the State supported by public private Partnership to transform it into an ICT powered State with the help of the following: Good governance, Improved delivery of citizen services, Effective and efficient collection of state revenues and the use of the same for the development of the state and its people, Implementation of e-governance as a tool to control and monitor various departments of the State, Creation of new jobs by bringing in new ICT industry, Implementation ICT as local economic booster, Co-ordinating political will and leadership of Chief Minister. The program will provide citizens easy and secure access to Department services through the district, e-governance infrastructure, from anywhere and in a manner that best suits the citizen.

3 222 Compendium of e-governance Initiatives in India The focus of the program is on bringing about a fine balance of the stakeholder requirements between facilitation and control as a blend of well-defined goals and performance metrics. Adopting International best practices, the goals have been set to bring immense value to the stakeholders and have been succinctly articulated as under: Public to get easy access to relevant records, get their grievances redressed effectively, and get their property registered; Registration and Stamps Department to ensure proactive and effective compliance of relevant laws and corporate governance;employees enabled to deliver best services 3. Objective of the Project To simplify the Registration procedures To reduce revenue leakage To provide Registration of documents in one single day To avoid undue delays in service delivery To provide user friendly, efficient and transparent system To provide honest valuation for the system To enhance the speed, reliability and consistency of the system To automate the back-office functions To create a system that enables setting quality and time standards for all registration services To smoothen the Citizen Government Interface 4. Services The citizen can go his nearest located Sub Registrar Office to get his property registered. The Web portal for citizens will be facilitating for most interactions. Downloading deed templates, instructions to fill up the deed, process of registration, methodology of registration, property evaluation, obtaining general information, lodging complaints and a slew of other services will all be facilitated by this portal anytime, anywhere. The digital signature technology will ensure security, confidentiality, integrity, non-repudiation and authenticity of transactions. This will be an added advantage to practicing professionals as they can ensure more effective service delivery to their clients by using such services directly from their offices. And all of these can be done just with a simple Internet connection.

4 Stamps and Registration Automation with Technology and Public Private Partnership (PPP)-roles and responsibilities, audit, SLA, business model; If not PPP, funding process The Pilot Project has been implemented with PPP option. In this model Man with machine (desktop clients, printers and scanners) has been hired from private partner. Database/Application Servers and networking equipment have been procured, installed and maintained by the department with the help of NICSI and BSNL. The responsibility of the private partner is to maintain the IT infrastructure and operate the Sarthi application. 6. Project Plan Requirements of process re-engineering and legal framework Technology Architecture Table 1 Sl. Particulars Present Scenario 1. Registration The citizens have to register the property and other deeds at the SROs under which the property lies. 2. Site The site inspector inspection is provided with information on site inspection from the SRO itself. 3. Storage of documents There is no unique indexing mechanism for storage of registered deeds. Future Scenario The citizens would be able to register the property and other deeds at any of the SROs in the city of Jaipur. The site inspector would be informed about the properties to be inspected before property registration from the Central Record Room. And list will be generated at each SR office for site inspection of his jurisdiction. All the hard copies of the registered deeds would be stored at the Central Record Room through an indexing mechanism. The SROs would however for audit and inspection purpose maintain a printout of the registered deeds that fall under it s jurisdiction. Alternatively, by making suitable amendments in audit procedures, the original hard copies available at central record room could be accessed by auditors and inspectors. In other words, maintaining a hard copy at SROs can be eliminated.

5 224 Compendium of e-governance Initiatives in India Table 1 (Continues Sl. Particulars Present Scenario 4. MIS reports Presently no reports are sent to the Collector. ADM/ DIG do not receive reports on registered deeds, impounded cases and revenue generated from each SRO on a regular and timely basis. Future Scenario The central server will generate and submit SRO wise MIS reports on deeds registered, impounded cases and revenues collected on a daily basis to the ADM/DIG and Collector. Monthly and Annual reports would also be sent. 7. Milestones DIT and C has developed the application software for anywhere registration system In the pilot project 11 sub registrar offices have been covered which are connected to district database server located at collectorate Jaipur. All SRO in Pilot District was relocated to the nearest service consumption point and suitable upgraded with the project cost. Hardware and network equipments procured from NICSI/BSNL and got the same installed at all the project sites. Deploy the application software and test the same. Final launch the application at all the locations and the new system has replaced the old system. 8. Project Management Structure After successful implementation of the pilot project the department of Information Technology and Communication is maintaining the entire system 9. Implementation Strategy for pilot to roll out Capacity building: Governance structure, Project management teams, Exit management team, Change management and training

6 Stamps and Registration Automation with Technology and 225 Infrastructure required for pilot project: Computer Hardware: The district database center located at collectorate is equipped with central database server, application server, desktops, printer, Router, lease line modems, UPS, etc. All the information regarding registration of the document like DLC rates, region, locality, etc., has been installed at district database server (11 SRO only) At Sub Registrar Office the local database server installed in which the information regarding that particular SRO is stored for registering a document. Each SRO is equipped with one local database server, desktop clients, Printers, scanner, Biometric device, web camera, router, lease line modem and switch. All the Sub Registrar Offices have been networked with 64Kbps lease circuit with central database server from BSNL. The entire project is managed by DIT/Rajcomp Govt. of Rajasthan. Multiple training sessions has been conducted for the departmental officials, operator and higher authorities 10. Evaluation and Measurement Process Re-engineering Age old procedures and work culture Lack of transparency in valuation Errors in calculation of duties. Large degree of litigations and audit paras Heavy manual work in the back- office (Cash book, Index, Register, Minutes book, challan for cash deposit) Non-availability of MIS reports for higher management Delay in Service delivery system. Haphazard Record keeping and archiving of documents 11. Human Resource Development/Change Management To restructure working of the department of registration and stamps for increasing revenue and decreasing revenue leakage and to provide seamless and friendly services to the public. The right to information and access as required and desired by the department by adopting SARTHI In-house system development Use LRC Computers in some offices Project has been implemented by hiring Man and machine Operational training to hired manpower and departmental personnel of ten days duration.

7 226 Compendium of e-governance Initiatives in India Standard formats have been designed by department and available on internet for citizens to reduce the mediators 12. Sustainability Department is taking registration charges from the applicants in the form of csi fee. The same is being used for hiring the computers and other items required to run the project. Computer Software will facilitate handling, processing and interpretation in whatever desired format. Computer software developed as per user department and update time to time as per user department requirements. Improve the public faith in department image. Create an environment of no pending documents. Reduce revenue leakage. Accurate valuation of the property by objective valuation system. Correct calculation of stamps and registration duty. To access information to any one and from any where as desired/ required by the department. Substantial reduction in paper work and shortening case processing cycle. 13. Status and Results Present status The Pilot Project has been launched on 8 March Based on the successful working of the pilot project Govt. of Rajasthan has embarked on statewide rollout of the anywhere registration concept for the same the state has approve the project on BOOT basis.